Drake Maye dazzles with late TD to get Patriots into OT before game-ending interception

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Drake Maye showed Sunday exactly why the New England Patriots took him with the third overall pick in the NFL draft back in April.

He also provided reminders that quarterbacks need a little time to develop.

Maye led the Patriots by running for a career-high 95 yards. The rookie also weaved his way, dodging defenders for 11.82 seconds before finally finding Rhamondre Stevenson open in the end zone well after the last second ticked off the game clock to force overtime.

Then Maye was picked off for the second time in the game in overtime in a 20-17 loss to the Titans and the second overtime loss this season for the Patriots (2-7).

“We already knew it, but I think the obvious thing is just his mental toughness and ability to really change the page and being a resilient player, and that’s a great quality to have in a quarterback,” first-year coach Jerod Mayo said. “And he’s a good competitor.”

The rookie was limited all week in practice working his way through the concussion protocol that forced him out of last week’s win over the Jets. Maye wasn’t cleared until Saturday, not that he showed any hesitation taking off eight times to lead the Pats in rushing. He also threw for 206 yards.

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“Gave us a chance to win the game. Obviously, just didn’t pull through,” Mayo said.

The rookie also was intercepted twice, the last ending the game. He was stripped of the ball by Titans linebacker Arden Key when sacked for the fourth time, and Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons recovered.

That set up the Titans at the Patriots 26 and an easy TD for a team that had scored only once before in the fourth quarter of a game this season. After New England’s defense held Tennessee to a 25-yard field goal by Nick Folk in overtime, the Pats still had one final chance until Maye’s second interception.

Maye now has six TD passes and four interceptions this season.

“I got to go back and learn from it, especially me,” Maye said. “I got to take these and take advantage of these reps that I’m getting in the game, and I got to play better.”

The play that shows Maye’s promise the most came as he ran around literally buying time for his lone TD pass in this loss. He credited his linemen for continuing to block as he ran around looking for someone.

Only 4 seconds remained on the game clock when the ball snapped. Maye took the second-longest time to throw on any touchdown pass — regular season or playoffs — since Next Gen Stats started tracking such statistics in 2016 for the NFL. Only Jayden Daniels’ game-winner for Washington last week took longer at 12.7 seconds.

Mayo went for the extra point rather than the win with a 2-point conversion.

The quarterback said he was busy trying to catch his breath and didn’t think about trying to talk his coach into putting the ball back in his hands.

“We’re out there that long on such a high intensity drive I think it’s hard to go for 2,” Maye said. “I don’t think it’s easy to look back and say that now.”

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